Looking for a new favorite artist? Here are 6 local music venues to check out
With a rich, blossoming music scene, Indianapolis is becoming an encouraging community for artists to secure their footing on stage.
While there are larger venues, like Old National Centre and TCU Amphitheater, for larger acts, independent and local artists have found spaces to share their talents. These spaces — each with their own niche, from country and rock to cabaret and burlesque — have something for everyone who may want to see live music at Indianapolis' theaters and venues.
Here are six local venues where you may find your new favorite artist.
8 Seconds Saloon
111 N. Lynhurst Drive. 317-486-1569, 8secondsaloon.net
Named after the qualifying ride time in bull riding, Garden City’s 8 Seconds Saloon has hosted a mixture of local and national, big-name country stars since opening its doors in 1999.
General Manager Bill Stamper said the saloon opened during the line dance craze, but now the bar operates more like a music venue 8-9 months out of the year.
With a back catalog of past performers, from Grammy-winning stars Brad Paisley and Miranda Lambert to Indiana-based artists Tyler Poe and the Indy Annies, the saloon hosts both concerts and dance parties that are sure to rock the spurs off your boots.
Stamper said the saloon has an upbeat and diverse environment, noting that everyone is welcome, no matter their age, race or walk of life.
“The whole idea for us is all about customer service, which is a testament to why we’re still here 23 years later,” he said.
If you feel like dancing, 8 Seconds has “the largest dance floor in the Midwest,” with an open floor space of over 3,000 square feet, Stamper said.
8 Seconds Saloon is open Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
The Cabaret
924 N. Pennsylvania St., Suite B. 317-275-1169, thecabaret.org
Liza Minnelli sang it best: “Life is a cabaret, ol’ chum, so come to the Cabaret.”
The Cabaret, one of Indy’s only arts organizations dedicated to its titular performance style, sought to bring the metropolitan art form of cabaret to the Midwest. Since its restructuring in 2009, the St. Joseph spot has hosted local cabaret connoisseurs to national icons, like “Saturday Night Live” alum Ana Gasteyer.
Cabaret is a style of performance, not a genre of music, communications and marketing manager Britnee King said. So, the venue offers a plethora of different musical styles, including jazz and Broadway.
“The art of cabaret is meant to be an intimate feeling and a setting that is less like going to a concert and more like having someone perform right in your living room,” King said.
The Cabaret does just that, placing the audience near the performers so the entire show feels more personal than the typical concert experience.
In addition to ticketed events for renowned cabaret artists, The Cabaret hosts free shows at The Alley, an outside community space just finishing its second season, which King said is much like a big, outdoor party. This season included performances by Indy-raised R&B artist and former “American Idol” semifinalist Marrialle Sellars.
Coming up:The Cabaret will host Santino Fontana in a big fall season of Broadway and jazz stars
Meet Marialle: Former ‘American Idol’ contestant has grown her sound and confidence
HI-FI
1043 Virginia Ave., Suite 4. 317-986-7100, hifiindy.com
Located in Fountain Square’s Murphy Arts Building, Indianapolis’ HI-FI is a prime spot for intimate, live music sets with artists from Indiana and beyond.
“We’re just a local, independent business,” Vice President of Operations Chelsea Sanderson said. “We started out of our owner’s bedroom about a decade ago and have just grown from local support.”
HI-FI, a 400-person capacity venue, typically hosts several indie artists a week, showcasing a variety of genres — rock, metal, blues, funk, rap and experimental music, to name a few — on a rotating basis.
For something more intimate, the Lo-Fi Lounge, HI-FI’s singer-songwriter showcase room, has hosted the likes of Sturgill Simpson and Walk The Moon pre-fame, and provides local and up-and-coming artists a stage.
Additionally, there is a 900-person capacity outdoor venue, HI-FI Annex, behind the Murphy Arts Building. Sanderson said the Annex was initially a COVID-19 pivot, but three years later is still going strong with nationally known bands like Animal Collective and The Breeders, as well as Midwestern acts like Fat Pockets and Hot Mulligan, which are set to take the Annex stage this summer.
The task of finding supporting acts for the larger names to grace the HI-FI and Annex stages falls on the venue, so Sanderson said they are constantly looking for local artists to open their shows.
If you can’t make a show but still want to see a performance, you can purchase a streaming ticket to watch from the comfort of your own home.
The Melody Inn
3826 N. Illinois St. 317-923-4707, melodyindy.com
Need an excuse to headbang? Look no further than Butler-Tarkington’s historic Melody Inn, which hosts Punk Rock Night every Saturday.
The Melody Inn has gone through many evolutions since it opened in 1935, co-owner David Brown said. Initially, it was a piano bar before turning to a restaurant in the 1970s. Then, in the 1990s, it shifted once more — this time as a punk rock venue.
According to its website, Punk Rock Night started in October 2000 to help make Indianapolis a music destination, seeking to bring local and national touring acts to one stage to celebrate punk rock. Now, Punk Rock Night is the longest-running weekly punk showcase in the world.
Nearly every other night at The Melody Inn, there is a new roster of artists of various genres set to take the stage. Artists like Richie Ramone and Albert Bouchard, founding member of Blue Öyster Cult, are some of the legends who have graced The Mel’s stage, but PRN organizer Rich Barker said they try to book one or two local acts each show.
Barker said the Melody Inn is the perfect venue to host Punk Rock Night, which he said is a diverse, accepting and friendly space.
“You feel like you’re right at home,” Barker said. “You feel like you’re at a rock ‘n’ rock, hard rock, punk rock venue.”
The Vogue
6259 N. College Ave. 317-259-7029, thevogue.com
What do Snoop Dogg, Tori Amos and Johnny Cash have in common? They have all played a show at The Vogue, Broad Ripple’s go-to live music venue.
Opening as a movie theater in 1938, The Vogue transformed into a nightclub and concert venue in the 70s and has since hosted hundreds of artists, both mainstream and indie.
Owner Eric Tobias said the venue caters to three different artists: the national touring act that plays all major markets, up-and-coming and national DJ acts, and local performers.
In addition to concerts, The Vogue has thrown dance parties, silent discos and themed-artist nights, but Tobias said the venue’s events are 75% performance, 25% dance party.
“To us, it’s all music,” Tobias said.
The Vogue recently wrapped up the second year of its outdoor, summer concert series, Rock the Ruins. Across 15 shows featuring the likes of Counting Crows, Ani DiFranco and Jenny Lewis, Tobias said over 30,000 people came out to Holliday Park to enjoy live music in the summer heat.
If your concert-going needs are still not satisfied, Tobias said The Vogue is now booking shows at the Toby Theater in Newfields, with alternative country band Watkins Family Hour set to open the stage in September.
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The White Rabbit Cabaret
1116 Prospect St. 317-686-9550, whiterabbitcabaret.com
Frequented by performers of all disciplines, The White Rabbit Cabaret is always hopping.
The Fountain Square entertainment hub features not only local and national musicians, but dance, comedy and self-produced shows, with something happening nearly five nights a week.
Only identifiable from the outside by a neon, white rabbit sign, there’s no spelling out of what’s behind the doors to the venue.
“Once you walk through those tinted windows, it’s this whole other experience,” co-owner Debra Silveus McGaha said.
Inside, McGaha said they tried to emulate the feeling of being at a cabaret. The stage is large for the space and the tables are circular and near to the ground, cultivating a feeling of intimacy between the performer and the audience. McGaha said the space takes one back in time.
More:A peek behind the curtain: The French Connection burlesque and variety show at White Rabbit
The talent roster has changed since the White Rabbit opened 12 years ago, when its focus was on professional dancing. Now, from burlesque and drag performances to original game shows McGaha deemed zany and unpredictable, The White Rabbit is the perfect place to try if you want to experience something new.
“Some of the shows might be hard to explain,” McGaha said, “but once you're there and you see it, it's a fun experience.”
You can reach Pulliam Fellow Griffin Wiles at GWiles@gannett.com or on Twitter at @griffinwiles.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy music scene: 6 places to find local, emerging artists
